Shattered Ties(3)

She turned to glare at me. “That was so not cool, Emma!”

“It might not have been cool, but it was funny,” I said as I giggled.

She rolled her eyes as she linked her arm through mine, and we started walking up the steps to the school.

“Lookin’ good, Emma,” Todd Bex said as he walked past us.

I sighed dreamily as I watched him walk by. Todd was a senior and the captain of the football team. Add in his good looks and charm, and he was the most sought-after guy in our school. I rarely wasted my time on boys, but he wasn’t a boy. He was a man. He kept his dark hair cut short most of the time. His eyes were a beautiful baby blue, and that, coupled with a strong jawline and full lips, made every girl turn to mush at his feet. The fact that he had talked to me, a lowly junior, sent thrills through my body. Maybe this would be the year that someone finally tamed him, and that someone could be me.

“Wipe the drool off your face,” Lucy teased.

I stuck my tongue out at her. “Shut up.”

She opened her mouth to reply, but she was cut off when we heard a loud backfire coming from the parking lot. Both of us turned to see a beat-up Jeep pulling into the lot and parking beside my car.

I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. Who on earth is driving something like that around here? And why do they feel the need to park next to me?

“Who is that?” I asked as we watched a guy climb out of the Jeep and walk toward us.

“I have no idea, but I wouldn’t mind finding out,” Lucy replied as she stared at the new arrival with lust-filled eyes.

I squinted, trying to see him as he walked toward us. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place him. Lucy squeezed my arm as he looked up and noticed us staring. I thought my arm was actually going to fall off when he approached us and stopped directly in front of me.

“Hi. I was wondering if you could tell me where the office is,” he said politely.

Now that I could see him up close, I understood Lucy’s excitement. Wow. Just wow. I had been ogling Todd not two seconds before, but I had to admit that this guy was far better than Todd. His hair was a shaggy mess of blond curls, and his eyes were the brightest emerald green that I had ever seen. His upper lip was a bit thin, but his bottom was full and just begging to be kissed. He was wearing a fitted polo shirt, and it stretched to its limit every time he moved due to the muscles that it was concealing. Several tattoos covered his arms, and they were a total contradiction to how he was dressed. This boy looked like a fallen angel and a surfer boy all rolled into one, and I wanted to wrap myself around him.

I blushed as I pictured us together, both wearing nothing but a smile. Dear Lord, what has gotten into me? Yes, I was a partier, but I’d never been in that situation before. Virgins didn’t imagine total strangers naked, yet here I was, picturing him naked.

“I’m Lucy,” she said as she held out her hand for him to shake.

He took it and smiled. “I’m Jesse. It’s nice to meet you, Lucy.” She gave him her brightest smile as I stood frozen.

“And this is Emma,” Lucy introduced me.

He held out his hand to me, and mine rose on its own to meet his. When our hands touched, I felt like I’d been shocked, and I pulled back quickly.

“It’s nice to meet both of you,” he said politely.

“Uh, yeah. You, too,” I said lamely. I knew Lucy was going to have a field day with this later.

“Anyway, can you point me in the direction of the office?” he asked again.

“Oh, right. Of course.” I turned and pointed to the doors where several students were walking through to go to their first class. “Just go through those doors and make a left. It’s right down the hall.”

He smiled. “Thanks so much for your help.”

I watched as he walked around us and made his way through the doors.

“Holy shit. I think I’m in love,” Lucy groaned as she stared at the empty spot where he’d just been standing.

“Wow,” was all I could manage to get out. My brain wasn’t functioning at the moment.

“Yeah, wow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you freeze up like that,” she teased.

“I just...wow. I don’t know what happened.”

“I think we both have it bad,” she said as we walked up the rest of the steps and headed into our school.

I remembered him pulling in with his piece of crap car. “I wonder who he is. He has to be a new student since I’ve never seen him before, but I don’t see how since he drove up in that thing.”


“Maybe he’s one of the scholarship kids,” she suggested.

“Scholarship kids?” I asked stupidly.

“Do you ever pay attention? Coach Sanchez was just talking about it the other day at practice. I guess the school awarded scholarships this year to two or three kids from across town. They normally attend the public school over there.”

“Oh,” I said.

“Yeah, oh. That has to be it. I would have remembered seeing that guy before now. He’s not exactly someone you can forget.”

“So, if he went to the public school, he must be poor,” I said, sounding disappointed. There was no way I would ever be able to get to know him. My mother wouldn’t allow it.

“Do you realize how snobby you just sounded? I swear to God your mother’s voice just came out of your mouth.”